ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani hosted a delegation from global tech giant Apple in Baghdad on Monday, discussing the country’s digital transformation and enhancing the capabilities of the youth. “During the meeting, discussions centered around shared topics of interest. The Prime Minister highlighted the ongoing digital transformation in Iraq and the work of the Higher Committee for Digital Transformation, which he heads, alongside other committees working in this field,” read a statement from Sudani’s office. Noting Iraq’s “successful investment environment,” the prime minister mentioned the “many major companies” working in the country, necessitating “a rapid digital shift.” They discussed enhancing the technological and digital capabilities of Iraqi youth, expanding employment opportunities, according to the statement, and the tech giant presented initiatives for collaboration. “The Apple delegation proposed initiatives to help develop the skills of young people, focusing on technology developers in collaboration with universities,” the statement said. The global tech giant also proposed working on registering devices that enter Iraq to “ensure competitive pricing.” Globally, Apple has the second-highest market share of smartphones per units shipped in the second quarter of this year, International Data Corporation (IDC) said in a report in July. The US-based global market monitor reported that Samsung accounted for 18.9 percent of the global market, followed by Apple at 15.8 percent, and China's Xiaomi at 14.8.
